Playing straight up heavy metal these days is a risky business; almost everything has been done in the genre and it’s easy to sound stale and repetitive. Charred Walls Of The Damned therefore are treading on hot coals with their second full-length, ‘Cold Winds On Timeless Days’, and on the surface it looks like they’re just another Dio tribute band. This, however, is an incorrect assumption. The bare bones are your run of the mill power chords/galloping riffs/shrieked vocals, but the sound is layered well with the progressive metal stylings of ex-Death members Steve DiGiorgio on bass and Richard Christy on drums. It’s testament to the moulding of the band together that even the usually yawnworthy Tim “Ripper” Owens on vocals sounds impressive. Add into the mix well-renowned producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, DevilDriver, Chimaira) on guitars and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success.